Readings: Zech 14:1-5; 1Thes 4:13-18; Acts. 1:6-11; John 14:1-7
The readings of this year ending Sunday give us a message of hope, whereby, we are motivated to lead a life of optimistic attitudes. We are encouraged to lead a life of hope because we are waiting for the second coming of Jesus, which will be the completion of the salvation initiated by Jesus himself.
1. The day of the second coming of Jesus has been stated in line with the concept of the day of the Lord of the old testament. (Zech 14:1;1 Thes. 5:2) The prophecy stated that the Lord will appear on the mount of Olives. (Zech 14:4) Jesus ascended to heaven from there and He will be reappearing there only (Acts. 1:12). On the day of the Lord, He will fight against all the oppositions against Israel and will eradicate all evils which threaten the integrity of nature and divine order. The term 'day in which the Lord will battle' denotes the powerful intervention of God as God intervened to divide the Red Sea and to drown the Egyptians. The final coming of Jesus will be the day of eradicating the evils of the society.
2. The mandate given to the church is to continue the mission entrusted to her basing on that hope. They need not bother about the time of the second coming. That is the prerogative of the Lord himself. (Acts 1:7). Even when they are agonised by the existential problems, the children of God have to become the witnesses of God far and near. Only in the power of the Holy Spirit, that could be done in the context of persecution and dangerous experiences. The presence of the Holy Spirit is the enabling presence of God. Stephen, at the time of the violent death he had to face, and Paul and Silas, at the time of their imprisonment in the prison were the best examples of the working of the empowering Holy Spirit. Saul, the persecutor and the jailor were converted by their witness. When the believers are hard pressed by oppositions, they withstand them because they hold a different value system and purpose. To take the anointing of the Holy Spirit as mere emotional ecstasy is far from the genuine experience of the Spirit.
3. The foretaste of the glorious appearance of Christ is to know Jesus as the way, truth and life. When Jesus said that His disciples knew the destination point of his journey, Thomas asked for the way. Philip asked Him to show the Father. Then Jesus replied that knowing Him is knowing the path and seeing Him is seeing the Father. To experience Jesus in life is more than an academical exercise. Unless and until the Christ is not known existentially, he cannot be realised eschatologically. If someone continues to remain in the path of Jesus in his life's journeys, he will realise the fullness. The 'second coming of the Lord' is only the culmination of so many comings in the life of a believer. So it could be stated as the 'final coming'.
Point to ponder: In what way the second coming of Christ is an inspiration for us?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, may your coming be hastened.
The readings of this year ending Sunday give us a message of hope, whereby, we are motivated to lead a life of optimistic attitudes. We are encouraged to lead a life of hope because we are waiting for the second coming of Jesus, which will be the completion of the salvation initiated by Jesus himself.
1. The day of the second coming of Jesus has been stated in line with the concept of the day of the Lord of the old testament. (Zech 14:1;1 Thes. 5:2) The prophecy stated that the Lord will appear on the mount of Olives. (Zech 14:4) Jesus ascended to heaven from there and He will be reappearing there only (Acts. 1:12). On the day of the Lord, He will fight against all the oppositions against Israel and will eradicate all evils which threaten the integrity of nature and divine order. The term 'day in which the Lord will battle' denotes the powerful intervention of God as God intervened to divide the Red Sea and to drown the Egyptians. The final coming of Jesus will be the day of eradicating the evils of the society.
2. The mandate given to the church is to continue the mission entrusted to her basing on that hope. They need not bother about the time of the second coming. That is the prerogative of the Lord himself. (Acts 1:7). Even when they are agonised by the existential problems, the children of God have to become the witnesses of God far and near. Only in the power of the Holy Spirit, that could be done in the context of persecution and dangerous experiences. The presence of the Holy Spirit is the enabling presence of God. Stephen, at the time of the violent death he had to face, and Paul and Silas, at the time of their imprisonment in the prison were the best examples of the working of the empowering Holy Spirit. Saul, the persecutor and the jailor were converted by their witness. When the believers are hard pressed by oppositions, they withstand them because they hold a different value system and purpose. To take the anointing of the Holy Spirit as mere emotional ecstasy is far from the genuine experience of the Spirit.
3. The foretaste of the glorious appearance of Christ is to know Jesus as the way, truth and life. When Jesus said that His disciples knew the destination point of his journey, Thomas asked for the way. Philip asked Him to show the Father. Then Jesus replied that knowing Him is knowing the path and seeing Him is seeing the Father. To experience Jesus in life is more than an academical exercise. Unless and until the Christ is not known existentially, he cannot be realised eschatologically. If someone continues to remain in the path of Jesus in his life's journeys, he will realise the fullness. The 'second coming of the Lord' is only the culmination of so many comings in the life of a believer. So it could be stated as the 'final coming'.
Point to ponder: In what way the second coming of Christ is an inspiration for us?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, may your coming be hastened.
0 Comments